Slash and burn
by Space Pirate Trooper
Summary: When Sephiroth is betrayed by others on the Chaos side, there's little he can do to avoid certain death... or can he? Story featuring almost the entire cast of Dissidia, but focusing on Sephiroth. Rating for violence. Chapter 5 - Rematch!
1. Betrayal

Is Sephiroth bashing bad? It's hard to tell. It's fun to write, that's for sure. He's too strong not to be beaten up occasionally. And what better way than by 5 of his Chaos teammates?

Not sure where this one came from to be honest. Prepare for some random fighting and possibly some angst. Why am I writing this author note? I don't know. Possibly because I'm in fanfic-mode. Why, I have no idea. My lack of internet is possibly driving me insane. If I do put this up on , I will leave this here for the amusement of those who can be bothered to read it. Lols to you. 8D

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Parts of worlds, ripped and torn and meshed together by a Greater Power. All fragments, these places, none of them true or real, faces of a diamond that made up the fake-place that the gods had called their warriors to.

They called it the Temple of Chaos. That was the place His warriors gathered whilst Hers stayed well away, venturing out only when they sought something. The Chaos Temple was large, a long throne room lined with pillars, a mighty chair sitting upon a pedestal at one end. The ceiling was in place for perhaps half the room but it made no difference; there was no weather in this world. Above, there was no sky, only a swirling void of black and purple mixed, like the colour of petroleum when it's spilt on the tarmac.

The room was not as empty as it perhaps should have been at this time. Chaos had been quite clear; he wanted the pawns of Cosmos destroyed. A simple enough request for those chosen by the God of Discord. But one remained, leaning against one of the towering, crumbling pillars as though in stubborn defiance of the God's words.

It was more than that, however, something further then simple defiance. Cold green eyes stared at the throne as if considering its worth. What was the point of them being here beyond that of Chaos' wishes? Why would he fight here? For Cloud, perhaps. Always needing a prompt or guide, he was the only one that could supply it for the blonde. Despair; so perfect as inspiration. So perfect as a gift.

A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips, yet still no emotion showed in those softly glowing eyes. After a moment, he unfolded his arms, the beads that hung from his wrist clicking softly as he moved, accompanied by the creak of his leather garments. He flexed his fingers after a moment and walked towards the throne, boots tapping and echoing as he made his way there, stopping at the bottom of the steps that led up to that mighty chair.

The smile had faded to unreadable neutrality that seemed to suit his face. Silver hair hung limp from the lack of wind. There was never a breath of air in this temple, never a stirring of the breezes. Sephiroth was still as he watched that altar. How strange, it had seemed to him, that the Emperor had taken that chair during their last little... meeting. And yet, had he expected anything less from that arrogant fool? Most definitely not. The Emperor was the one to watch out for. He had met Sephiroth's eyes and the silver haired SOLDIER had felt nothing but suspicion seeping from the other man, suspicion at everyone and everything around him.

There was quiet for a long time, and no movement, before a voice broke the silence.

"Sephiroth. You disobey Chaos?"

The silver haired one did not turn as the female voice spoke, recognising the owner of the voice immediately. He sensed her directly behind him, perhaps a dozen paces back. And others, too, but who he could not place until their moved or spoke their own piece.

"Disobey? Perhaps the wrong word, Ultimecia."

He smirked, looking over his shoulder at her. The woman was indeed standing back from him, her black wings held half out, casually, arms folded across her ample chest and revealing gown.

"I never choose the wrong words." She gestured with a black, clawed hand. "You have been rather... against Chaos's plans since we were brought here." She looked somewhat annoyed and the SOLDIER finally turned to face her fully, standing relaxed but keeping his green eyes firmly locked on the woman's own gaze.

"I think you'll find that I am, and will always be, more than a pawn of a God. Any God. And that includes Chaos." Sephiroth shrugged lightly, shoulder armour scraping; metal on metal. "Perhaps you should be asking yourself what your purpose here is."

The woman opened her mouth to reply but another spoke. Heeled boots on the cold ground now as an elegant figure in gold and purple swept past Ultimecia, stopping within sword's reach of Sephiroth. The Emperor regarded the SOLDIER with a smugness Sephiroth had come to dislike in the man and, coupled with his cold arrogance, it did nothing but make that dislike grow.

"Your purpose, our purpose. One and the same, I should hope. But if your purpose wavers, my dear Sephiroth, I'm afraid you are no longer of use of Chaos." The Emperor's eyes told a different tale. One of removing an obstacle. One of ulterior motives. Sephiroth did not react. His expression remained neutral and this seemed to infuriate the Emperor further.

From the corner of his eyes, Sephiroth could make out the others that had gathered here. Kuja. Well, he had perhaps expected that, if it came to side selection. Kuja's obvious distaste for the SOLDIER had been evident to him from the beginning. Sephiroth's eyes flicked across briefly to the other side of the room. Exdeath. Another he had expected. A mindless creature, that one. Doubtless he would simply be happy to have a chance at destroying something else. And lastly, the fifth one that now faced him; Kefka. A insane smile plastered onto that face of his. Sephiroth let his eyes drift back to the Emperor who stood so close before him.

"My purpose does not waver. It never has. From the start, I have known my purpose. However, if you do not believe my purpose coincides with your own... that is up to you." Sephiroth raised his left hand after a moment and called Masamune, clamping his fingers tight around the leather-bound hilt. The Emperor did not move. Ultimecia and the others visibly tensed but Sephiroth only noted this from the corner of his eyes. His main target was the golden clothed man before him.

The SOLDIER rested the tip of Masamune on the floor to one side of the Emperor, the end of the blade just falling in line with the man's toes. For a moment, the Emperor glanced down at Masamune before looking up at Sephiroth.

"Fool."

He began drawing the sigil as he spoke the word, a thunder crest swiftly sketched into the ground with the intent of trapping the SOLDIER within its depths. Sephiroth threw himself to one side as soon as the Emperor's staff touched the floor, watching the trap appear where his feet would have been but seconds before. He lunged for the Emperor then, Masamune at such a stance that it would be easy to plunge the sword into his opponent's chest.

Another sword blocked him. Exdeath loomed on the other side of the Emperor, silent and faceless, deflecting Masamune away. The Emperor laughed. Sephiroth hopped back lightly, assessing the situation. The Emperor, Ultimecia, Exdeath, Kuja and Kefka. Poor odds, to be sure, but what choice did he have but to defend himself and take out as many as possible? Were his skills not at least equal to all those around him? In the few seconds he had, he made a simple analysis. The Emperor was behind this, simple. Ultimecia would be his key back up. Exdeath was there for pure enjoyment, as was Kefka, most likely. Kuja simply did not like him. A weak spot in the team, perhaps? Kuja was possibly the weakest out of them also, when not in his Trance state. Kefka was deadly at range but pathetic close up, as was Ultimecia. The Emperor was weak physically whilst Exdeath was no tactician. As those few seconds ended, Sephiroth smirked and leapt, straight towards Kuja.

It was an unexpected choice of target to his enemies. Perhaps they thought he would let his emotions rule over his judgement. No such luck with the ex SOLDIER. His mind was even keener then the edge of Masamune and his choice of target reflected this. He landed behind Kuja, turning to go on the offensive. The others were moving in to join in the fighting but too many in one space... a challenge at the best of times, especially when they were most definitely not the best team players in the arena. Sephiroth wasted no time. His signature technique, the Octaslash, would be more than enough to take out Kuja. The first strike hit it's mark, leaving a long line of red from shoulder to waist on Kuja who stumbled back from the blow, trying to bring his hands up to cast in response. The second hit caused an identical slash, on the opposite side of Kuja's torso.

The third never hit as Sephiroth felt rapidly increasing tension in the air. He threw himself backwards but was a fraction of a second too late as a Thundaga lightning bolt struck him, sending a wave of pain through his body and causing him to pause for the briefest of seconds. Exdeath took advantage of this and slammed a heavy shoulder into the SOLDIER, throwing him through a pillar to strike the wall behind it. He was still for a moment before freeing himself and dropping to the floor lightly, quickly assessing the damage. Nothing too serious. Possibly a broken rib.

Exdeath was laughing, Kefka was laughing. Sephiroth focused his eyes on the clown. The source of that Thundaga no doubt. The silver haired man ran the opposite way to the clown, using the wall as if it were the floor for a few moments and dodging a meta-physical axe thrown his way by Ultimecia. He made to go for Kuja again. The man in question was mopping blood from his chest, floating a few feet off the floor and grimacing at the damage to his flesh. Sephiroth went for him, and then quickly turned towards the clown, who perched in the very centre of the room, floating in the air as if nothing could touch him. Ultimecia was charging an energy attack which missed by bare inches. Sephiroth felt the power of it as it skimmed past his back, hitting the wall ineffectively behind him. Kefka was unawares and by the time he noticed Sephiroth's approach, he had only just begun to cast. Hurling a fireball at close range, Sephiroth took the hit to his shoulder, it heating the metal of his shoulder guards so they burned his flesh, but was otherwise useless. The clown's eyes widened as Sephiroth swiped with his sword, the impact from the hit sending the clown sprawling to the floor with a yowl of pain.

Landing once more on the ground, Sephiroth turned to find the Emperor smirking just out of reach... and all of the space between them filled with mines. The ex-SOLDIER narrowed his eyes. The Emperor raised his staff, drawing another sigil, this time one of light.

"Suffer!" He hissed, eyes gleaming. Sephiroth had to chose; mines or missiles. He chose neither. He pulled Masamune in a wide arc towards the Emperor, another technique he valued; Godspeed. Blades of air materialised at the end of the blade and with them appearing so close to their target, the Emperor had no chance to evade. The sweep took out mines as well as the Emperor. Overall, Sephiroth felt this was going well.

This split second of uncharacteristic cockiness was his undoing, for now. Exdeath appeared from nowhere, teleporting directly behind Sephiroth and hitting him with the force of a steam train. It sent the SOLDIER face-first into a wall, through several mines. He had no time to recover as a half dozen arrows of darkness began raining from the sky.

"Knight's Arrows, Sephiroth. Hardly suitable for a common soldier." Ultimecia drawled, laughing softly at her own joke. Sephiroth on the other hand paid her little heed, focusing on avoiding the deadly shower. He avoided all six, somehow, focusing on getting out of the way over all else. Exdeath had once again crushed some part of his skeleton and simply holding Masamune was causing his ribs to pain him. As he parried Exdeath yet again, he felt a sharp and sudden pain in his side. He parried Exdeath and moved back with force, landing heavily and putting a glove to the pain. Blood sat wetly on his leather fingertips, surrounding the hilt of some weapon. He pulled it free sharply, gasping as he did so. It appeared to be made of a pure, azure crystal. An axe, the edges sharp and giving the small weapon great power. He threw it away from himself and it promptly vanished. Every movement hurt now, every little thing sending shockwave of pain through his ribs and up and down his spine.

Sephiroth roughly dodged an explosion to his left then a series of Firaga fireballs thrown by Kefka, causing him to stumble slightly. He jumped as Exdeath swiped at his legs, twisting in the air as an axe was thrown where his head would have been but seconds before.

"Getting tired?" The Emperor's voice, calling up to him. Sephiroth allowed the distraction and looked down. The Emperor had once again set his little traps up below, including a fresh Thunder Crest, exactly where Sephiroth had been planning to land. So, once more he was forced to twist to the side, landing with a stumble as his ribs jarred and the wound from the axe tore slightly. Ultimecia landed next to the Emperor, extending her wings fully. Kefka had clambered to his feet also, approaching Sephiroth from the opposing side to Ultimecia and the Emperor. Exdeath was laughing, to the right of the Emperor, filling the gap in the slowly shrinking circle with ease. Kuja was hovering above the mines laid by the Emperor.

Completely encircled, Sephiroth dropped into a defensive stance with Masamune, grimacing slightly in pain. A last stand perhaps? Straight up was unprotected after all. The SOLDIER called deep inside himself, to that hidden power. A wave of energy seemed to shoot through his form, his eyes glowing brighter and flashing suddenly as a black wing sprouted from his shoulder blade. He pushed off from the floor with force, wing spread, and loose black feathers floating in the air around him. There was a short pause then the five below him went after him. Exdeath first, teleporting to appear directly above him, sword pulled back and ready to attack. Ultimecia launched herself to Sephiroth's left, her wings spread, Kuja flanking his right. Any other man would have perhaps given in at this point. But Sephiroth pushed his wing wide and continued directly upwards, his right hand also closing around the hilt of Masamune now as he lunged for Exdeath. His attack struck, hitting the armoured one in the gap between his chest armour and his arm plates, the blade sinking in a good few inches before Sephiroth wrenched it free in a slashing motion. Exdeath roared and fell, dropping before Sephiroth like a stone. Ultimecia and Kuja seemed to be on the same wavelength as both went for his back, Kuja with a burst of energy and Ultimecia with more of her Knight's Arrows.

Several arrows pierced his wing and Sephiroth winced, very slightly as he suddenly dropped to avoid the energy burst. A fireball, accompanied by Kefka's laughter, scorched his wing as he moved, burning feathers twisting and coiling in the air. The swordsman twisted to parry an axe thrown by Ultimecia, only to fall straight into one of the Emperor's mines. He hit the floor hard enough to crack the marble, leaving a miniature crater underneath him. Masamune clattered away where his grip has slipped, blood seeping from his body in a dozen places from cuts. He was now fairly certain he would not be able to fly again for now.

The Emperor loomed over him, followed by Ultimecia and Kuja.

"Allow me to clip your wing, Fallen one." Kuja sneered, calling fire to existence. The Emperor and Ultimecia stepped back as the fire fell into place. Sephiroth made no sound, simply letting his wing take the beating then fade and vanish from his back as if it had never been, a surge of blinding pain washing over his prone body.

"Run, run, run!" Kefka's hysterical voice now. Sephiroth rolled to his chest and went to push himself up, only to feel Exdeath's boot slam into his back and firmly press him back into the floor, jarring his entire frame. He gritted his teeth in pain and frustration. They most certainly hadn't been good odds at the start but he had felt he had had a chance. Exdeath kept his ample weight firmly on Sephiroth's spine as the Emperor began to draw a sigil. Thunder Crest again, it seemed. Just as the sigil was finished, Exdeath's oppressive weight vanished and Sephiroth pushed himself to his hands and knees, only to be caught by the trap. Electricity lanced through his body, fraying every nerve ending he had, before he found himself laying on his front again, unable to move save for his twitching fingers.

"Well," Kuja said, wiping blood from his still bleeding chest wounds. "That was far more troublesome then I had expected."

"I did say not to take Sephiroth lightly, did I not?" Ultimecia responded coolly, standing at Sephiroth's head. She crouched after a moment, running a clawed finger down his cheek, leaving a long scratch, before tilting his chin so he was forced to look up into her eyes. Exdeath's boot slammed down into his back again and he cringed. "Killing you would be unfortunate. It would perhaps be most beneficial to you, and to us, if you were to simply surrender."

Sephiroth did not reply with those claws so close to his throat. With her free hand she gently moved his hair from his face, and then went to touch the wound at his side from her well thrown azure axe. Her touch was cold against his skin, his coat having been ripped from the attack.

"Answer me." She commanded. Sephiroth said nothing. He heard the sound of the Emperor moving away, identifying him by his lighter footsteps, towards the throne.

"Answer me." Ultimecia repeated, pressing her claws softly into the wound. Sephiroth did not move nor make a sound, his eyes cold and expressionless.

"Answer me!" She said for the third time, suddenly stabbing her claws into the wound, deep enough so the tips of her fingers were hidden. Sephiroth smirked through the pain, will power winning over natural reactions.

"As you wish." Beaten, by all means, but not stupid. He felt the surging, throbbing pain subside as Ultimecia withdrew her claws, one hand still under his chin as she licked at her other hand, blood running down her wrist.

"Good." She stated before pulling away and straightening. The Emperor now spoke in a drawl from where he now perched on the throne.

"Kuja, Kefka, go and clean yourselves up. Blood hardly suits the more powerful team in this conflict of Harmony and Discord." He laughed softly. "A few cure spells should do it." There was a short silence. "Ultimecia, Exdeath? How do you fair?"

"I am fine. A little saddened that our dispute is over, but fine." Ultimecia responded first.

"I am wounded, Emperor, but not disabled. I will take this filth to spend some time with Golbez. Traitors deserve each other's company." Exdeath rumbled. There was a scraping sound of metal on metal as Exdeath reached down and seized Sephiroth roughly by his hair, hauling him up a little before switching his grip to the SOLDIER's neck. Sephiroth let him do as he pleased. Golbez? They had given him the same treatment? Hardly fair considering Golbez's emotional ties to Cecil. It wasn't as though Sephiroth had been quite so sparing to Cloud.

Exdeath hauled the unmoving man towards the Temple door, letting his feet drag behind him and keeping a firm grip on both the man's neck and one shoulder.

The Emperor and Ultimecia shared a short burst of laughter as Exdeath moved Sephiroth from the Temple of Chaos to another facet of this strange world all together.

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Oh wow. It turned into a chapter. This means there will be further chapters. Aren't you lucky bunnies? Oh. Well. You will be if I actually post this up. I hope I do. Sitting here with no internet (CURSE YOUR UNIVERSITY NETWORK) kinda makes me doubtful.

Well, if I do post this up. Read it. AND REVIEW. Even if it's just like ... a score out of 5 or something! Or one word!! SANK YOO! *bow*


	2. Consequences

Oh ho ho! A NEW CHAPTER. And I'm writing it as though the first one actually got put online. Wow. I wonder. WILL IT BE PUT ONLINE? I hope so.

Note: THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS! I didn't expect any, to be honest. You guys made me happy!

Reviewers:

**Lor: **I agree with you there! He wins too much in fanfics. XD

**Phantom-Sephiroth: **Oh don't worry about that. You'll get more Sephiroth and Golbez soon enough!

**a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8: **My thanks! As to the other villains, I agree with what you're saying there with the mindless destroyers thing. Only problem was, I needed someone hefty like Exdeath for the fight scene, that coupled with the fact I thought if the Emperor was plotting something like this, Kuja, Kefka and Exdeath would come along just for the ride, and the chance to kill something! But thanks for the review!

**BeckyLynn: **Oh, thank you so much! I love to write fight scenes. They just appear in my head! I will be continuing... got a couple more chapters written up already. :D

**Chencheya: **Thank you very much! And I agree, they would probably figure a bit of insane power is a good thing against someone like Sephiroth! And thank you, I like to try and keep characters.. well.. in character! It's always a shame when someone tries to write a canon fic and characters behave weirdly. Sephiroth needs his butt kicked on occasion, he wins so often! And yes, there will be more!

**Suyiro Motsuko: **Thank you! And thanks for pointing that out! I had divided it with an equals sign but fanfiction automatically removed it. I have fixed this problem with the first chapter now!!

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The ground was cold. So cold and smooth. Like the purest glass or crystal.

Sephiroth lay on his back where he'd been dropped by Exdeath. He smirked softly, his eyes closed, the fingers of one hand gently feeling the surface of the ground beneath him. It chilled him even through his clothing, chilled him to the core. Where had he been left? After a moment, he half opened his eyes, the green gaze glowing in the semi-darkness. It seemed confined, small, walls of purple and black and silver evident and shimmering like jewels all around him. He could feel his blood leaving him still, from his side, pooling on that shimmering floor.

"Sephiroth? How unexpected."

A voice. Male. The sound of armour and heavy footsteps. Well, he'd found Golbez, it seemed.

"Hmm." Sephiroth could not summon the energy to say any more than that. It was neither an affirmative nor a thoughtful noise. Simply a non-committal statement about Golbez's words. The footsteps stopped close to his left hand side.

"I do suggest you stop bleeding. Unless dying here is high on your priorities."

Sephiroth fully opened his eyes now, staring up at the faceless helm that looked down at him. The style of his armour reminded the SOLDIER of Garland, but there was something infinitely more approachable about Golbez. Not that Sephiroth liked either of them.

"And I suggest you refrain from disturbing me." He murmured in response after a moment, his words sounding faint even to him. Where had his voice got to? He sounded no more threatening than some pathetic creature from Cosmos' team.

Golbez laughed then, heartily, before kneeling and going to pick the other man up, quite easily lifting him and moving him so his back was propped against a wall of shimmering, black crystal. Sephiroth said nothing and did not struggle as Golbez left him be, moving back to the pool of blood and looking down at it critically.

"Thankfully, my armour prevented this kind of problem." Golbez stated. Sephiroth did not reply. The armoured one looked towards the still SOLDIER. "Tell me, was it the Emperor?"

"Indeed." Sephiroth smirked softly, licking his own blood from his lips after a moment. He went to remove a glove which took rather more effort than he had anticipated, then gently probed the wound in his side. He'd had worse, that was for sure, but this was fairly deep. He could feel bone in the wound. At least it felt solid. Ultimecia's fingers had worsened what would have otherwise been a fairly standard stab. With a muffled curse, he felt for any remnants of that azure axe. Golbez watched him in silence, unmoving save for where he breathed. It was somewhat eerie in this forbidding and claustrophobic realm. When he was satisfied the wound was free from weaponry or claw pieces, He began to undo his coat and clear that part of his side, to remove the torn fabric from around the wound. He freed his arm from his coat sleeve slowly, pulling away shoulder armour first then the coat itself. The crossed belts came next, then his waist belt. He left his other arm in his sleeve and focused on the other side of his body for now.

The wound was not neat and he was certain Ultimecia's claws were to blame for that. As for his shoulder... It was burnt and red, contrasting with his pale skin. A super-heated fireball to the shoulder was not something he cared to repeat. But for now, he left it, looking down at his rapidly bruising ribs for a moment before leaning back. His eyes found Golbez had moved away to sit atop a short pillar of crystal.

"Golbez. How long have you been here?" Sephiroth had not seen the other man for a while yet could not place the exact amount of days. The armoured one turned to face him slowly and was silent for a moment before he replied.

"I do not know. It is hard to track time here. Between them, Ultimecia and Exdeath have sealed this place off from the other dimensional fragments."

Sephiroth mulled over this for a few moments. Combined powers to seal off a pocket dimension? How efficient of them. "I wonder at the purpose of sealing us here. It would be pointless to let us starve to death over time when our endings could have been swift and easy." Sephiroth grimaced very slightly. He accepted the fact they could have ended his current life there and then, returned him to Mother and the Planet. And yet, he and Golbez lived, albeit in a small, pocket-facet of this world. Golbez nodded shortly in agreement but said nothing more.

The two men sat in an uneasy silence. Both of them thinkers (though one rather more unstable then the other, it has to be said). Sephiroth silently calculated the best way to escape this wretched place. Evidently, teleporting had no effect or Golbez would not still be here.

After several minute, Sephiroth pushed himself to his feet, leaning heavily on the crystal wall behind himself. He took several moments to gather himself and began a slow walk to the nearest 'edge' of this dimension. Lifting his still gloved and sleeved hand, he pressed against it. Tiny scales rippled to existence around his hand then faded as he softened his touch.

Golbez walked up behind him. Sephiroth fought the urge to turn to defend himself as he so naturally would to one simply walking up behind him without announcing their presence. Yet, he held his nerve by force of will, keeping his back to the armoured man.

"It's like the edges of those larger dimensions." Golbez intoned after a moment of silence, unmoving like a wall of steel. "I have tried several techniques to try and break through it, but with no success as you can tell."

"Indeed." Sephiroth responded dryly, lowering his arm after a moment. Without his left arm fully functional, he would not be able to wield Masamune to its full effectiveness and was sure he would not be able to break through this barrier. Perhaps, under these kinds of circumstances, it would be best to wait to be removed from this place by the Emperor or those in league with him, rather than trying a break out.

Just as he turned to speak to Golbez further there was a flash of light. Sephiroth's eyes narrowed and Golbez turned towards the source of the brightness. Ultimecia and Exdeath stood at the centre of the crystal world, Ultimecia's face a picture of smug mockery. The heavily armoured Exdeath was impassive, a relaxed stance showing his ease in this situation.

"Well, the time has come for you both to move. The Emperor has come up with a rather fitting end for the both of you." Ultimecia smiled softly as Exdeath lunged for the pair. He aimed a thick fisted punch towards the SOLDIER which Sephiroth stepped sideways and back to avoid, hitting the wall and jarring his ribs, causing him to pause whilst Exdeath continued his attack on Golbez, grabbing him roughly and teleporting in another flash of light. Sephiroth recovered, slowly, looking towards Ultimecia with disgust.

"Not that I care for his wellbeing, but, where has Exdeath taken him?" He asked after a moment, voice emotionless and cold. Ultimecia folded her arms.

"To the place that was planned for him. Do not worry about his fate; you are going to a different realm all together. The result should be most interesting. It's an experiment of sorts; the weaknesses of Cosmos' warriors must be judged after all." She paused, gesturing with a hand after a moment. "Don't try to resist. I don't want to have to pin you down with Arrows."

In fact, Sephiroth was curious. What did this woman have in mind? As she approached, he tensed a little, ready to spring to his own defence should the need arise. Yet, he had to leave here, did he not? This was perhaps the only option. Ultimecia approached elegantly, stopping a few feet short of the ex SOLDIER and staring at him critically. Sephiroth returned the stare, unblinking yet feeling as though he should be replacing his coat and armour. She smirked after a moment and reached out to take his arm. He did not resist, allowing the flash of teleportation light to take them to a new place.

There was water gently rippling about his boots now. Such clear water he hadn't seen for many, many years. It stretched out a long way in either direction. Nearby was an altar, surrounded by a stone circle, rising from the shallow waters. The sky here was visible. How odd. Compared to the rest of the facets, this place seemed almost... peaceful. Sephiroth took it in in a few moments. Ultimecia watched him with that smirk.

"And here, you will stay, Sephiroth, until the warriors of Cosmos return and find you. Then we shall test them for their weakness. Will they let you live? When you will be at their mercy?" She laughed softly and he watched her steadily.

"At their mercy? Don't underestimate me." His eyes narrowed as he kept her gaze, slowly going to place his arm back in his sleeve and wincing at every second. Ultimecia watched him, letting him get on with it, her arms folded yet again. As he finished attaching his crossed belts and shoulder plates, painstakingly slowly, Ultimecia spread her wings.

"Well then, Sephiroth, I will have to make sure that you are indeed at their mercy, will I not?"

She lunged then, with her claw-like fingers. Sephiroth threw himself back, calling Masamune to his right hand as he did so. The blade materialised just in time as he parried her blow, catching her claws on the long, thin blade of his sword and pushing her to one side. It sent a wave of pain throughout his entire frame, causing him to stumble slightly, Masamune's tip crashing into the smooth surface of the water at his feet, sending ripples out in every direction. Ultimecia took advantage of his temporary lack of defence and lunged again. Sephiroth brought up his sword to parry but she moved her attack and focused it downwards instead, slashing at his unprotected leg.

Her claws cut through his boots and trousers with ease slicing the flesh beneath in four deep gashes which made his leg buckle under him. He dropped to one knee, feeling the blood running down his leg and watching it mingle with the shallow water, soft red lines fading into the water in an outwards ripple. Ultimecia reached down to his chin and pulled it up so he looked at her, as she had done before.

"Perhaps you could have bested me in a fair fight but at the moment you are no match." She said softly, caressing his chin with her thumb where she held him. "If you survive this, I will be most happy to give you a rematch." And with that, she went to throw him back with such force, it sent him to his back in the water with a splash. She followed his progress, standing over him for a moment before raising a hand. "So sorry, it's nothing personal."

She called a Knight's Arrow above her and it shot down towards Sephiroth and an unavoidable speed. He went to roll to the side to avoid it and almost succeeded. The bolt pierced his side where it would have pierced his gut and he drew in a sharp breath. Fantastic, another wound on the same side. All three of the major attacks he had received had been on his left. It almost seemed too unlucky to be coincidental. Perhaps aiming for his stronger side was part of their little scheme; he was left handed after all.

Ultimecia watched him bleed for a few moments before nodding to herself. "That should do it. Just don't bleed to death before they return." She stepped back and faded from this dimension, presumably back into the Temple of Chaos. Dimly, Sephiroth wondered if Golbez had befallen the same fate as himself, yet that made little sense. The ex SOLDIER tried to push himself up out of the water but that required stomach muscles. Stomach muscles that were currently pierced by a light arrow. He growled at the pain that wracked his frame as he collapsed back into the cold water, grimly considering hypothermia and whether it was possible in this dimension. Oddly, Ultimecia's arrow had not faded, sticking in his flesh like a barb. He decided to take a few moment to collect himself, aware that the water around him in most directions was now stained red. How much blood loss could a child of the Planet take? He decided that he'd rather not find out.

Footfalls. Armoured? Yes. Light armour compared to those on his team though. Whoever it was was splashing as they walked, getting closer. He turned his head a little, blinking as his head span. An outline of a person, a cape, a helm with long horns crowning it. That was not good. The only one with a helmet like that, the only one likely to be in this place that he now recognised as the base of the warriors of Harmony...

"What?! Sephiroth?!" The Warrior of Light summoned his blade to his hand.

---

Finished! Chapter 2 is complete. WOOHOO. Now. If this goes on line, please please PLEASE read and review.

How many out of 5? Do you like the style? Do I ramble? Chapter length okay? How about the plot? One word, ONE WORD. It will do! Just answer meee! I want some feedback. :) How much more Sephiroth bashing can I get in a fanfic? You'll find out if you review!


	3. Mortal Enemies

Chapter 3! I think I will perhaps finish this story before it even goes online! How wonderful will that be? Then I can put up instalments in a logical order and time frame without leaving people in the lurch for weeks and weeks. :D I'm such a nice author. *cough* If this ever goes online.

^That was a lie. I haven't finished it. And yet, I am happy. Happy because people review this story and seem to like it. :D Maybe I should write more FF stuff.

Reviews (MY GOSH! SO MANY. If I get so many again, I will have to move responses to the bottom of the chapter!):

**Chencheya: **Heheh, I have 3 chapters finished and typed up you see ;). Forth is nearly finished too. My internet was out for 12 days so I spent the time writing this! Sephiroth's chance for revenge will happen... or will it? Will he succeed? Ultimecia is a pretty underrated character and it's kinda sad. She's got a pretty cool design. Thank you for your kind words! It means a lot to me!

**Lor: **Thank you! :D

**Suyiro Motsuko: **I'm glad you see it that way! I agree with you! As for Exdeath... good point. But damn, who would want to be tackled by that guy? I guess it would have made more sense if he teleported... but eh. XD

**a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8: **Thank you! Yes, I did think about that, but I decided to go with the Dissidia powers of the characters rather than their game powers. If I had let Sephiroth have his game powers he may have had a good chance at winning against the five others with his totally over powered teleporting ability that he shows in FF7! As for Ultimecia's time... thanks for reminding me, I think I shall have to include that at some point! BAHAHAH! Thanks very much, your comments really are appreciated! :D

**Key:** Eh, I'm not so keen on Cloud of Darkness... Simply because I'm not very sure how to write for her. I haven't played FF3 .. ^^' The only reason I feel I can mention Onion Knight in this chapter is because he has his own storyline in Dissidia.. And as for Sephiroth, I'm well aware he's an emotionless, cold bastard and quite happy to keep him that way ;) ... But there is a limit to how evil you can be when you've had your butt kicked ever which way by five other villains.

**Senshi of Sadness: ** Teehee, you'll soon see... Don't worry, I wouldn't shame Sephiroth by letting Onion Knight kick his butt. :P

**mikkimikka: **Haha, thank you !! XD Golbez may return later. Though I am trying to plot out a nice, separate Golbez fic even as I type this one. :D

**Robert Donahue: **Thank you! Heehee, Sephiroth working for Cosmos. Now wouldn't that be something...

---

The Warrior of Light's sword was held straight as he called it to his hand, aiming the point directly at Sephiroth's exposed throat. The SOLDIER did not move, looking up at the Warrior with a cold expression.

"You would sully the place of the Light?" The Warrior asked, narrowing his grey eyes. Sephiroth did not reply. What sort of a fool was this man to think he would be here of his own accord? Sephiroth sighed softly to himself at the man's stupidity.

"Hey, hey, what is it—Oh gods!" A young man had run over, messy brown hair sticking up, bright, wide eyes staring down at the SOLDIER. "Sephiroth?" He looked to the Warrior of Light who had not moved. "I'll get Cloud."

"Yes Bartz. In fact, assemble everyone, if you can." The Warrior of Light intoned, his eyes and his blade unwavering. Bartz went to do as ordered, a nervous excitement evident in his tread. Sephiroth half closed his eyes, weariness washing over him, a distinctly vague feeling affecting every inch of his body.

"How?"

Sephiroth opened his eyes. There were more people. How long had it been? It had felt like mere seconds, like a blink, but all of these people now gathered around him. Cloud. Sephiroth looked up at the blonde man blearily a smirk forming on his lips at his question.

The Warrior of Light looked to Cloud. "He is from your world, Cloud. It's your call as to what we do with him, for now at least."

Cloud nodded, blue eyes fixed on his timeless foe. "Not much we can do, right? But we can't leave him here." He looked up, towards the altar. "Perhaps the steps there."

"Jeez, man. What kind of bad guys do this to one of their own?" Who's was that voice? Sephiroth focused on it. Tidus, perhaps? Jecht had spoken of the boy a lot. Sephiroth smirked at the boy's words. So ignorant. Bad guys? Disgusting.

"We will find that out." The Warrior of Light spoke. "Squall, Cloud, help me move him."

They dragged him to the altar between them and, even in his semi-conscious state, he was getting rather irritated with people moving him around. It seemed to be a reoccurring theme these days. His fingers curled into a fist for a moment but he could summon the energy to do little else, angered at his own pain.

"He's hurt." A female voice. Ah, that must be Terra, the one Kefka was so obsessed with. Sephiroth couldn't focus to look at her but she was close to him, worry in her voice. Worry? How unexpected and how unwanted. Should she not be wasting her energy on other useless ventures rather then worrying about him?

"It's probably a trick." A voice he didn't recognise. He sounded young, much younger than any of the others here. "Don't always believe what you see Terra."

"The Onion Knight is correct." The Warrior of Light again. Was he their leader? Another interesting piece of information. "We must seek Cosmos' guidance with this matter."

Sephiroth leaned back against the altar. His leg throbbed with pain, following his ribs and side. The water had plastered his clothes and hair to him, making him shiver, even though the air was not cold.

"This could... work to our advantage." Who was this one? Firion, Sephiroth eventually decided. The one who loved flowers.

"Yeah. Though I don't know why they left him here." Squall mused.

The SOLDIER was getting a little irked at being spoken about like a piece of meat. Usually so controlled in his emotions, the past few hours were beginning to wear him down, like waves on a solid cliff side.

"Nothing is ever clear." Cloud spoke. Sephiroth watched the other man with a mixture of pride and arrogance stirring inside him. Was he proud of Cloud? He felt as though he was a strong part of the man before him's creation. "Especially when Sephiroth is involved." Cloud moved closer and crouched before Sephiroth, staring at him critically. "Though I've never seen him like this."

"That's because the Planet heals me." Sephiroth finally spoke, his voice quiet yet no less powerful. There was silence as the warriors of Cosmos gathered around him. Almost instantly, the Warrior of Light's sword was at his throat again.

"You, Warrior." Sephiroth glanced up at him but otherwise did not move. "If I was going to attack you, don't you think I would have done so already?" he smirked and looked away, down at his body. So battered. And the Planet wasn't on hand to heal him. He'd have to get to that dimension shard as soon as he could.

The Warrior of Light did not move his sword. "I think perhaps removing one of Chaos' pawns might be to our advantage here, while we have the opportunity." He stated after a moment, staring at Sephiroth but talking to those around himself "We must seize every moment we are offered."

"No!" Terra's voice, a splash as she stepped closer. "You can't kill a defenceless person. No matter who they are! It's not right! It makes you no better than them!"

Sephiroth chuckled at her words, the motion making him cough, blood running down his lip as he regained his steadier breathing. "Weakness." He said simply, half to himself and half to those assembled. There was a silence.

"You know... I'm with him on this one." Squall, agreeing with the Warrior of Light. He looked to Cloud, still crouched by Sephiroth. "Cloud?"

"I don't know." The blonde man replied after a moment, glancing back at Squall. "Every time I kill him, he comes back. He won't just stay in my memory."

Sephiroth actually laughed at that, cutting off the noise before it turned into a cough. Warrior of Light shook his head softly after a moment. "We'll go by Cosmos' decision." He eventually stated. Terra sighed with relief, Cloud's frown deepening somewhat. Squall folded his arms at the decision and walked away from the others. The Onion Knight was watching Sephiroth closely, having moved between him and Terra, suspicion evident on his face.

"Don't you guys think we should... I dunno, get her to hurry or something?" Zidane asked after a moment.

"No need." A gentle, melodic voice filled the air now, accompanied by a soft shower of light. "I am here. I sensed that something was amiss."

Cosmos stepped towards them, walking above the water rather than through it. The Warrior of Light nodded his head in a half bow, making it clear he did not want to remove his sword from its threatening position. They parted their circle around Sephiroth for her and she looked down at him with her innocent eyes and soft features. The SOLDIER looked up at her with his usual cold demeanour and the goddess looked saddened.

"I wish to know why you are here." She knelt, resting on the water's surface. "Tell me, Sephiroth."

The others watched in silence and the Warrior of Light moved his sword as Cosmos' fingers gently pushed the blade away from herself. Sephiroth watched her in silence, a smirk curling the corner of his lip. Why tell her anything? He owed her nothing. She might have been a goddess but he was not going to say a word.

There was a long silence. Cosmos did not move, only her expression gradually changing to one of sadness at his lack of compliance. Sephiroth watched her evenly.

Suddenly, the Warrior of Light stepped up again, putting his sword to Sephiroth's throat yet again. "Answer her! Do not disrespect the wishes of Cosmos!"

Cosmos herself looked at the Warrior, turning so she faced him. She slowly shook her head; 'no'. With a gentle hand, she touched the hilt of the Warrior's sword and it flashed out of existence as if it had never been summoned to the Warrior's hand in the first place. The elegant woman then turned back to Sephiroth and reached out to him.

"Careful." It was Cloud speaking, his own hand resting on the hilt of the Buster Sword on his back.

Cosmos did not waver, her touch as insubstantial as light as she touched the cut on his cheek. It stung for a moment before the pain faded completely. Sephiroth knew at once she had healed that wound, completely, and as the goddess pulled away, he could see his blood on her fingers.

"I can heal you." It was a bribe. Sephiroth was a proud man. He would not waver in his resolve for something so petty. A little part of him, in the back of his mind screamed at his stubbornness. He had broken ribs, a burnt shoulder, deep gashes in his leg, a pair of stab wounds in his torso... How could he not accept her offer of healing?! And yet he said nothing. The goddess frowned at him, seeming surprised he did not take up her offer.

"You still will not speak to me?" She all but whispered. Sephiroth could feel the Warrior of Light growing tense at his side. She reached out again, this time to his leg where Ultimecia's claws had raked his flesh. That cold, light touch was felt against the highest of the claw marks, a wave of pain shooting through his flesh at even the gentle pressure. Then, the pain was reduced. He dizzily looked down at her hand.

At the four rips in his trousers, three were thick with congealing blood. Yet the forth... Pale skin showed through the tear in the fabric. Healed, yet again. He looked back up to Cosmos with his glowing eyes.

"Uh. Is that a good idea, Cosmos?" Zidane asked, scratching his head doubtfully at the goddess' actions. "Don't fix him up too much. He'll just attack you or something."

Sephiroth's fierce gaze focused on the thief at those words, eyes narrowing. "You take me for a mindless killer?" He asked coldly, tones less powerful then he would have liked. Zidane looked away, edging towards Cloud and trying to remove himself from Sephiroth's line of sight.

"I do not want to have to force speech from you. But... I need answers." Cosmos said sadly, "Please do not make me use my power."

What power would this be? His interest was piqued by her words. Force him to speak? He wondered who would win in a mental battle of wills between himself and this goddess. Sephiroth closed his eyes, leaning heavily on the altar behind him.

"Very well." Cosmos suddenly reached out, her palm against Sephiroth's cheek, thumb by his nose and fingers round the opposite side of his eye. Sephiroth barely felt her touch at first then, suddenly, it all changed and the feather light weight felt like the killing pressure of the bottom of the ocean. He opened his eyes in surprise and found her face before his own, her eyes like pools of infinity. He froze then, lost in those eyes, unable to move.

Cloud gave a tut and stood, turning away from the goddess and the SOLDIER. The Warrior of Light frowned softly.

"Cosmos?"

The goddess did not respond to his words and he grimaced. Whatever was going on between Sephiroth and Cosmos, he would not be able to interfere and he hated it.

The others stood around in varying levels of nervousness or worry. Even Squall wandered back to the group to keep an eye on what was happening. Cecil was first to speak in the silence, folding his arms self consciously.

"I have to say. I am curious about why Sephiroth is here."

"As I said before, it's definitely a trick of some sort." Onion Knight nodded to himself. "Baddies don't just beat each other up."

"They might have... you know... had an argument." Terra chipped in.

"And resorted to randomly fighting? Would Chaos even let them?" Onion Knight frowned as he thought about it.

Any answer was cut off as Cosmos gasped, her eyes glowing with the rich gold of morning sunlight now. Her hand did not move from Sephiroth's face.

"You're here. You were brought here." Her voice was like ice and her words hurried.

"Yes. You think I'd come here on my own?" Sephiroth said, his voice was distant, somewhat lost sounding and his own eyes glowed with the green of Mako.

"The Emperor!"

"A faction within a team."

"Why did they attack you?"

"Why does anyone attack anyone?"

The Warrior of Light was growing more tense during this exchange, clearly not happy with the nature of Cosmos' hold on the other.

"You got in their way?"

"Not exactly."

"You did not do as Chaos asked?" Cosmos sounded surprised at the notion, as she scooped the thought from Sephiroth's mind.

"Not particularly. I do as I wish."

"Hmm." The Goddess smiled very faintly. "Thank you, Sephiroth. I may ask you further questions in a moment." And with that, she pulled her hand away from his cheek. Simultaneously, they both slumped; Sephiroth forwards, head lolling, whilst Cosmos fell away, laying still on the surface of the water for a few moments. Warrior of Light helped her up to sitting position. The goddess was smiling to herself, at some hidden secret, her eyes on Sephiroth for a moment before looking up at her assembled heroes.

"I believe this was some kind of test." She said softly after a moment. "Devised by the Emperor."

Firion visibly tensed and various others grimaced or shook their heads.

"Thankfully, I think we have succeeded in passing this test. They did not expect us to show mercy."

The Warrior of Light and Squall glanced at each other equally uneasily before looking away.

Sephiroth opened his eyes slowly after a moment. That had been a strange sensation. A goddess combing her way through his brain while his mind fought back. He'd done fairly well, he was certain, seeing as she was a far more powerful creature then she looked. Where her hand had been on his cheek, his skin still stung. And somehow, he couldn't quite remember the exact exchange he'd just had. It was vague as if it had all been a dream.

Cosmos was on her feet now, looking at her warriors. "Who has gained their crystals, my warriors?" She asked after a moment, smiling at each of them. Out of the ten assembled, it seemed four had their crystals in hand. The Warrior of Light, Cecil, Firion and Cloud all held theirs in their hands for a moment before letting them wink out. Cosmos nodded, pleased.

"The rest of you, go. Go and seek your crystals." She silenced their protests with a wave of her hand. "Look to the future." She whispered. With varying levels of reluctance, the others left, leaving the four who had found their crystals, the goddess and Sephiroth.

"You must not kill him in cold blood." Cosmos spoke to the Warrior of Light. "And yet, wouldn't it be a waste to simply leave this opportunity?" She added ambiguously before fading out of the dimension, as if she were never there.

The Warrior of Light looked down at Sephiroth who looked up at him with his sharp eyes.

"We'll take him to the Planet's Core...I have a plan that may well rid us of half of Chaos' pawns in one go."

---

WEEEE!! Read and review and I'll love you forever. 3


	4. Old Friends

And returning for a forth chapter... It's mee! Ho ho ho, a cracker for you here. Hopefully. I haven't typed it yet. I'm just being positive. But what I have in mind should be a good chapter! I HOPE!

I moved reviews to the end! Thank you so much for all your time taken to review! I appreciate it! :D

--

The Planet's Core was always lit, bright green walls rushing with the energy of the Life Stream. The small outcropping of rock that levitated in the centre of the energy was densely populated.

Sephiroth sat with his back to a large stone, eyes closed and a soft frown of concentration on his face. Firion perched above Sephiroth's head, on the rock he leaned against, with his bow drawn and aimed directly at the silver haired man's head. Warrior of light stood to Sephiroth's left, sword at the man's throat, Cecil to the right, spear against the side of the SOLDIER's forehead. Cloud stood in front of him, the edge of the Buster Sword just resting on Sephiroth's chest. Sephiroth did not move save for where he breathed, suddenly opening his eyes. They glowed brightly, exactly the same colour as the swirling energy about them. Green sparks danced and wove their way up and down his arms where he rested them on the floor, a particularly dense cluster of them gathering around the gashes in his leg and the stabs and breaks in his side.

"That's good enough." Cloud speaking. Sephiroth's eyes slid up to look at him without moving his head. "We can't let him stay here any longer."

"Agreed. I want as little risk as possible." The Warrior of Light's sword moved closer, nicking Sephiroth's skin. "We're going."

Sephiroth was silent for a moment, taking what he could of the Life Stream, as quickly as possible. He should be able to walk freely again, he decided, and could breathe. The ribs were fragile but mended, new skin forming on his leg and the higher of the gashes on his ribcage. The second, deeper wound that Ultimecia had so graciously enlarged was smaller and neater around the edges, yet not fully closed, the thick red line still showing through the tear in his coat.

As Sephiroth went to stand, the various threatening weapons moved with him. Not once did he see an opening. A little smirk crawled onto his thin lips. Oh how perfectly cautious they were being with him. It was almost amusing how seriously they were taking this. How nervous of him they were. Their fear pleased him, though he'd never admit it.

"If you betray us, Firion will put an arrow in your back." Cecil said after a moment, somewhat sadly as if he didn't like to mention this fact and merely wanted to remind Sephiroth of the threat.

"Not willingly, but I will do it." Firion nodded, "Just do as we discussed Sephiroth, it benefits all of us."

The SOLDIER said nothing, though his smirk broadened, clearly unsettling both Cecil and Firion. Cloud's expression only darkened and seemed to turn inwards, thoughtful and brooding as always. The Warrior of Light's eyes narrowed but he too was silent.

There was a bright spark of light and the five of them vanished.

The five warriors reappeared in the midst of a lunar landscape. Mounds of earth and boulders rose up on all sides of them, stretching into the distance for what seemed like miles. The five kept close to Sephiroth for a moment as Firion drew his bow, a Straight Arrow gleaming in the hold of the taut string.

"Alright." The Warrior of Light nodded. "Let us finish this."

Cecil, Cloud, Firion and the Warrior of Light all promptly vanished, though Sephiroth could feel eyes on him from all sides, and that prickle of tension from the arrow aimed at his back. His cold eyes scanned the lunar surface, trying to pick out any detail that might give away his enemy. However, he appeared to be totally alone.

Taking advantage of this, Sephiroth reached up into the air and pulled Masamune from nothingness. The blade glittered in the moon's glow as Sephiroth moved it to a relaxed stance, the tip just touching the floor.

Several seconds passed and nothing stirred. Perhaps he was feeling particularly impatient, but Sephiroth was eager to gain his own personal revenge against those that had so quickly risen to attack him. Eventually, he gave in with this waiting. It was clear simply being here was not going to encourage those on Chaos' side to appear to him. He raised a black gloved hand, dark energy coiling about his fingers before he launched a Shadow Flare at the nearest pile of rock. Eyes slid to the side and he glanced over his shoulder, almost daring the Warrior of Light and his comrades to show themselves and question his actions. But they did not and he looked forwards again. Dust was settling from the explosion in little motes and swirls, clearing the way for one to see again.

A figure stood in the swirling dust. Sephiroth's eyes narrowed as he tried to make out the form of this person. Tall, wide, imposing, Sephiroth took a half step back into a defensive stance with Masamune. For a few moments, the figure did not move, then, suddenly, a beam of energy shot towards the SOLDIER. He hopped to one side, avoiding the shot and it hit the floor ineffectually. Laser fire, perhaps? Sephiroth was a little irritated. So Ultimecia had not shown herself, unless she had miraculously gained the power to use Higher technology. There was only one man that Sephiroth knew of in this place that could use such mechanical creations. Only one man that was broad enough to support the armour that this outline suggested.

"Golbez." Sephiroth murmured, stepping across a step and into an attacking stance with Masamune, bringing it round to the side. Golbez did not respond, stepping out of the swirling dust so he was visible, the small particle of dirt settling. Although the imposing, iron-clad man looked the same as usual, there was a different air about him; a distinctly more bloodthirsty aura emanating from his person.

Sephiroth's cat-like eyes narrowed at his apparent foe as Golbez raised his hands, the dark purple haze of a Nightglow forming under Sephiroth's feet. The Ex-SOLDIER darted to the left then lunged forwards, Masamune tight in his left hand.

Sephiroth feinted to the left then lunged to the right, but Golbez blocked, the sword richoting off of his thick armour. Sephiroth turned and swung again yet Golbez blocked the blow once more. Sephiroth hopped back and circled clockwise, jumping forwards as another Nightglow began to form around his booted feet. He threw a wave of wind blades from his Godspeed technique towards his foe as he moved before darting back again, clearly playing safe. The tear in his side panged and he paused momentarily. Thankfully, his attack had struck and caused Golbez to stumble, a few dents showing in that armour.

And then they were both on guard again, Sephiroth slowly circling his foe. Any other man may have cared about the wellbeing of a team mate such as Golbez but Sephiroth merely analysed the other man's state. He was clearly not sound in his head, or he would not be fighting. It was clearly the influence of some outside source. The SOLDIER did not even bother to try and reason with Golbez, simply deciding to cut him down and ask questions later.

Golbez was waiting. Sephiroth was waiting. Nothing happened for a few, peaceful moments. Then a blur or silver and black as Sephiroth closed the gap, bringing Masamune round for the first blow of the Octaslash. The heavy armour of his foe prevented many of the eight slashes from landing more than glancing blows. Yet the final blow was powerful and fast, a diagonal cut from Golbez's right shoulder, down to his left hip. His armour broke under the strain of this attack, cracking all the way along this line. Blood seeped from this rent, running down his chest plate and causing Golbez to stumble. Sephiroth landed lightly, putting his free hand to his wounded side. It was bleeding again.

Golbez made some identifiable noise, a mixture of a howl of rage and a cry of confusion and pain. Sephiroth turned to face him once more, turning Masamune into an attack stance yet again. The other also faced his foe, lunging forwards in a slow yet powerful attack. Sephiroth blocked the blow with Masamune but stumbled under the weight of it. He could feel a spell charging under his feet and was midway from stepping back as the Nightglow discharged and exploded. The force of the attack sent Sephiroth vertically into the sky, easily hitting the invisible ceiling that divided this lunar realm from the rest of the strange dimension. He was stunned for a few seconds, feeling a coppery cough rising in his throat but biting it down. As he recovered, he twisted, seeing Golbez standing below and recovering for a moment, blood dripping freely from his chest. Sephiroth smirked and turned Masamune.

He dropped from the sky like a hawk on a mouse, tip of Masamune aiming down. They'd dubbed it 'Hell's Gate' but he didn't think of it like that. It just made him think of that oh-so-perfect moment where he'd impaled that foolish Cetra girl, right where she prayed in her precious Capital. A leer formed on Sephiroth's lips as Golbez looked up and Sephiroth came near to delivering his final blow.

The first few inches of Masamune sunk into Golbez's back, puncturing the armour as if it were made of paper. But, out of no where, two new swords formed a cross and blocked Masamune from causing further damage, infact removing it from it's target completely and forcing Sephiroth to land heavily.

Warrior of Light withdrew his sword, as did Cecil, both of them turning to Golbez as Cloud and Firion appeared, their weapons trained on Sephiroth. The silver haired man made no reaction save for reaching to his lips to wipe away his own blood.

Golbez had sunk to his knees, seemingly staring wordlessly into space.

"Brother?" Cecil was speaking, standing before Golbez, a frown evident on his face as he stood in his Paladin form. "Brother? Please speak to me! Do you recognise me?" He reached out to touch his brother's shoulder. Golbez did not stir. Cecil looked to the Warrior of Light who grimaced.

"There is something strange happening to those on the Chaos side and no mistake." The Warrior stated after a moment, looking down on Golbez. Cecil knelt after a moment, placing a hand on each of Golbez's shoulders.

"Golbez!" He cried out, sounding more than a little worried. At this calling of his name, Golbez seemed to sigh before falling forwards into the dirt, a small cloud of dust coiling from the barren ground.

"Cecil." Golbez's words were weak but at least they were there. Sephiroth raised an eyebrow, watching with vague interest, though most of his attention laid on Cloud and a little on Firion.

"Cecil, please, you have to be careful. There are those going against the plans of Chaos, whilst saying they are not. They will not follow the same ideals as others on Chaos' side." Golbez sounded confused, though about what was uncertain. He sounded distant, vague, not quite in control of what he was saying. "I... I don't ..." His uncertain tone was so unlike him, Cecil bit his lip. Were his brother's words usually full of wisdom? Clipped down to the most important parts, even if they were buried under cryptic clues? The Paladin looked so worried.

"So your plan was a failure." Sephiroth's cold words broke the sad silence. His eyes were fixed on Warrior of Light. "Pathetic. I expected more from one such as you." He shrugged.

"You didn't know this would happen either." Cloud speaking to Sephiroth, his grip shifting on the hilt of the Buster Sword.

"If I had known, I would not have cared." Sephiroth smirked, his eyes slipping to the blonde and holding his gaze intently. Cloud eventually looked away, unable to take that unblinking, emerald stare.

"What will we do now then?" Firion asked, his voice slightly tense from where he still held his bow taught, arrow still trained on Sephiroth. What strength did it take to hold a bow with an arrow for so long?

"Golbez will be returned to Cosmos. Cecil will take him." Warrior of Light looked to the Paladin who nodded in agreement, going to help his brother. "I don't trust him, but both will be safest in Cosmos' domain. We will try to implement our plan again. Though I have a feeling they will realise our intent with this second attempt." The Warrior of Light grimaced. "But little we can do. The use of Sephiroth as our weapon is unfortunate but—"

"Let me make things clear for you."

Sephiroth's voice was icy, edges of his cruel mind lacing his tone. "I don't do this because you force me. I do not do this because I respect you or your plans or your oh-so-precious Light, Warrior. I do this because I wish to." His eyes narrowed, his glare hard and unwavering. "You would do well to remember that."

The Warrior was silent for a moment, matching Sephiroth's unblinking gaze and not turning away from it.

"Very well." He said eventually, his own words laced with forced courtesy. "Let us remove the legs out from under the enemy. A certain Time Witch will be our target."

Cloud sighed softly, Sephiroth smirked. "Perfect." He all but purred, making Cloud visibly shiver.

Firion's expression darkened. He had a _very _bad feeling about this.

---

And now, my lovely reviewers:

**Senshi of Sadness: **^_^ WoL is a sneaky one. I hope I didn't make him too mean in this chapter... Hmm, I hope you enjoyed this fight! Though I think Sephi fighting alongside Comos warriors might be fun too...

**Robert Donahue: **I didn't update fast this time, did I?! I view Cosmos as a bit of an awkward person... she seems a bit out of touch with real life things, doesn't she?

**Chencheya: **I am glad you enjoyed chapter 3! WoL I view as noble... but willing to do anything he can to save the world. Noble but happy to make sacrifices, perhaps? Also, Cosmos is very unrepresented.... it's kind of sad. Why do 'good' characters tend to get ignored? (not including FF series mains of course!) Chaos is always favoured over Cosmos! And thank you... Wow, that really means a lot to me! That's probably the nicest compliment I've ever got about a fanfic I have written. :D

**Lor: **-Salute!- I will do!

**Skykhanhunter: **Many thanks! :D

Phew, now that is out of the way... I hope you enjoyed this... And I hope you leave a review!


	5. Rematch

Chapter 5... Oh, I have come so far! And still the plot thickens in my brain... I had intended this to be a one off originally but. I am happy it has decided to continue!

Review responses at the end of the chapter again!

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Ultimecia was alone. She sat on the edge of a long wall that encircled a central platform, bright light shining from below and darkness above her, so unlike the night sky of a normal world. Her clawed hand rested on the wall either side of her, her legs folded and the silky flow of her dress gently being moved by the thermals in this warm dimensional shard. Boredom lay clear in her features. She had visited Squall but it had not been enough to sate her desire for something to do. In all honesty, she wished the Emperor had explained the rest of his plan. After the manipulation of Golbez, the five Chaos warriors had temporarily disbanded; Ultimecia had chosen a little time alone. Where the others were, she had no clue.

After a moment, the Time Witch stretched, arching her back and stretching her glossy feathered wings out as far as they would reach, enjoying the sensation of her muscles loosening. As her wings reached the very limit of her wingspan, she suddenly cried out.

Looking to her left wing for the source of the terrible pain, she could see the reflective blade of a long katana cutting through the feathers about half way down... and continuing to slice downwards. The Time Witch's eyes narrowed in anger.

"You!" She spoke, twisting sharply and wrenching her wing free, turning backwards to gaining some height. Sephiroth landed where she had been sitting, pulling Masamune round and looking at her with an arrogant smirk.

"Ultimecia." He said simply, quite like his greeting to her but a few hours previous in the Chaos Temple. Ultimecia flapped to gain further height, dark blood glittering in the air as droplets and plummeting to the land below, leaving a smattering of crimson on the stones.

"So." The Time Witch's eyes narrowed in distaste as she regarded the SOLDIER. "They let you live. What a pity." She smiled then, softly, cruelly, her lips curling into a mockery of a happy expression. "No matter. I have been wanting to fight you myself for some time now, Sephiroth. They say you are a master swordsman." She spoke casually, flexing her clawed fingers. "Though I was unimpressed during our little fight earlier."

Sephiroth said nothing, his eyes narrowing in distaste for her words. He was above petty goading by the woman but deep down, her words still angered him. He nodded slowly after a moment, a soft smirk tracing his lips. "Very well. I shall have to prove my worth then, shall I not?" With that, he swung Masamune round in an arc, releasing a torrent of air blades towards his foe.

She dodged them, to the left, bringing up a hand and firing a rain of Knight's Arrows towards her foe, sparks flying as they shot through the air. Sephiroth dodged the first few in the volley, landing heavily. He brought up his sword, hilt higher than the blade and deflected the rest, the arrows landing harmlessly a few feet away before vanishing. Both of them paused and there was silence for a second.

Sephiroth darted forwards, Masamune braced in his left hand. Ultimecia was fast in reacting, throwing a trio of azure axes towards her foe. Sephiroth smirked. Without the distraction of four others, he was ready for her attacks, knowing her range and her variation in battle. He deflected two with a single sweep of his long sword. As the third approached, he turned his torso very slightly to the left, the axe continuing its straight path and avoiding him by bare inches. Her eyes narrowed in anger, his eyes narrowed in satisfaction.

Masamune was brought round in an arc, a feint and she went to block it with her clawed fingers. At the last moment, he changed the angle of the strike; bringing it across instead of down, cutting into the woman's hand and side. She hissed in fury, lashing out at him soundless with her claws.

He let himself fall, avoiding her completely and landing lightly on a stone platform below himself, watching her above with little apparent interest. A few drops of blood fell before him and he lifted a hand, catching them on a finger and looking at them in a bored fashion before flicking them away, into the swirling depths below. Clearly Ultimecia was not happy as Sephiroth threw himself backwards, a rain of arrows landed where he had been standing. The ex SOLDIER kept moving now, not standing still for even a second as the relentless waves of arrows hailed down towards him. A few, he cut straight through, always dodging and diving to keep out of the way.

As he hopped backwards off a platform, an arrow shredded his sleeve and the skin beneath. He barely paid it a glance as he twisted round, pushing off the platform towards Ultimecia and deflecting yet another wave of arrows. Assessing the situation as he moved, he noticed she had laid several arrows stationary in the air and was currently casting what appeared to be a large orb of magical energy. For the moment, he ignored the stationary arrows and as she hurled that powerful spell towards him, he waited until the very last second to dodge out of the way, a smirk lining his face, as arrogant and cold as ever.

The arrows fired themselves just as he dodged the energy blast and even he had trouble avoiding all of them. Eight in total, he slashes through several, two raking his left arm and one clanging into his shoulder plates. One, he dodged completely and the final arrow, he took to the leg. The SOLDIER reached down immediately, wrapping his gloved fingers around the shaft and wrenching it free, throwing it away and going on the offensive immediately yet again. He lunged for his foe with a focused accuracy, throwing a series of long slashes towards his opponent, his sword giving him a terrible range, rivalled by none. She darted back but could not completely block the rain of blows, welts of blood and gashes of crimson appearing up and down her entire frame.

As Sephiroth launched another attack, there was a flash of light and his sword stroke was pushed to one side as if it meant nothing.

"Griever!" Ultimecia's voice resounded with power as she spoke that one word. Sephiroth dropped back from her at those words. A surge of power filled the air around him, prickling him with its dark energy. His smirk broadened. This level of strength in his foe only made him wish to defeat her more soundly. He landed a little more heavily then he intended, his wounded leg not liking to support his weight. Her power would not last more than a few minutes. And when she was back to her standard form, he would go in for the kill. Avoiding her until then would be no problem.

Then he felt the energy drawing around him.

Sephiroth glanced around, eyes narrowing as he focused on the sparking purple energy, just visible, around his body. He took a few steps back. The energy followed.

"Time. Compression." Ultimecia's words, so much louder than her usual tones, laced with hatred and an overall sense of smugness that immediately irritated the ex SOLDIER.

Sephiroth went to lunge but... couldn't. The air closed in around him, crushing. What a fitting name she had given her attack. Time in this little bubble slowed to nothing. He could think but what he saw, felt so fast. Black feathers floated softly in his vision, in front of eyes he could not move. He arched a little in pain, his whole body screaming for freedom without his consent, his form rigid, hating this unnatural confinement. She was laughing. He could hear her twisted and distorted voice through the strange pocket he had been consumed by.

Then, as soon as it had happened, it was gone. He fell backwards heavily to the ground. Without the time compression, it felt as if gravity was suddenly twenty times heavier than it had once been. He lay for a few seconds before getting to his feet, Masamune ready to attack again. Looking up, he saw Ultimecia smile softly, many feet away, her wings outstretched.

"You've no hope." She said softly, her eyes glittering. "Time compression!"

As she began to cast, Sephiroth launched himself at her, determined to interrupt her spell. He drew Masamune back, ready to plunge it into her chest. As he was bare seconds away from sinking the steel sword into his foe, she raised a hand to him. Greiver's hand. That deadly smirk broadened on her lips. "No hope." She repeated as the world froze again.

This time she was less merciful. She stood before him, gently reaching out with a taloned hand to touch the edge of the Time Compression.

"Stupid man. You had no chance, from the beginning." And with that, she attacked. The arrows came from all sides and, being frozen in this bubble of time, Sephiroth could do nothing. Yet he felt no pain. Knowing full well he should be in agony, his logical mind raced with an explanation; and ultimately, a way to take advantage of this.

"_You have my blessing, Sephiroth."_

A voice spoke from nowhere, in his mind. Mother? No. Someone more powerful than even Mother. Someone like... He twitched in the Time Compression, fingers reaching into nothing, eyes widening. Surely not... Surely she would not give one such as him her blessing? And yet he could feel power tingling in his fingers. Power he had only known briefly in these long, drawn out days in this fractured realm. Another arrow pierced his flesh, straight through his arm and out the other side. Blood dripped from the wound and froze in the time field. Another arrow, through his leg, then another. And another. Three, sticking like barbs from his thigh, Ultimecia leering at his helplessness. Then another pair, straight through his chest, the tips pointing from his back. One through his neck, severing his vital air and blood supplies. The Time Compression began to fade and he started to feel sensations again. He coughed. Blood splattered, thick and dark, more of a wave then a few drops. He coughed again. Such thick, crimson blood. His life. His life on the stone ground before him.

Sephiroth dropped to his knees, looking up at Ultimecia with clouded eyes. There was a flash and she landed elegantly before him in her normal form once more. The Time Witch reached out and gently held his chin, much as she had done before, her eyes glittering like a snake's.

"Oh what a terrible waste." She sighed mockingly, relaxing her shoulders into a mocking shrug.

Sephiroth stared straight through her, blood pooling under his hapless body, arms limp at his sides. Masamune fell from his fingers with a clang, as it hit the stone floor. Thick and wet, his chin was stained with his own blood and she wiped at it with her thumb before pulling away and licking her fingers softly.

Just as she moved, Sephiroth's head turned a little, to look up at her before he fell forwards onto his hands and knees, sinking further until his elbows touched the floor. Ultimecia did not move.

After a few seconds, a frown came over her features.

A bright burst of light filled the dimension for a brief moment, followed by black feathers floating on the thermals. A beautiful wing sprouted from Sephiroth's back, a green glow infusing his very being. Ultimecia's eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"Where did you find this hidden strength?!" She intoned angrily, raising a hand to call more Knight's Arrows. Sephiroth did not reply. Sparks danced about his wounds, knitting together flesh and bones, refilling his ruptured veins and arteries. Before she could fire, he'd gotten to his knees and darted forwards, picking up Masamune and ramming it through her stomach. His speed was superior to her own and the momentum from the blow sent her flying clean off the platform. She managed a mid-air recovery to find Sephiroth also flying, his wing holding him in the air effortlessly. Blood still dripped from him, but it was clear it was no longer fresh from his wounds. His eyes were focused once more. A leer spread across his face.

"Your arrogance doesn't suit you, Ultimecia." He stated simply, a bright swirl of energy forming around him. He raised a hand, gently resting it on his forehead as he glided backwards, away from her, keeping his distance. Concentrating for a moment, he barely saw her lunge towards him. But it was unimportant. A bright spark, then a burst of energy, and Ultimecia plummeted from the sky like a bird in the air that had been shot down, smashing into the ground and laying there unmoving. He landed lightly next to her, wiping blood from his chin and stepping through his own crimson puddle he had left on the floor, reaching down and picking her up by her feathered ruff.

"Let me see you despair." He whispered, his eyes edged with savage glee. A tiny hint of emotion in an otherwise expressionless man. He raised his sword with a finality that made her eyes widen before he plunged it through her gut, letting her drop to her knees before him.

As the swirling purple of this dimension coiled about her, she looked up at with him with pure, unfiltered hatred. And yet, could he sense a grudging admiration there as well? He smirked.

"You'll ... see me again." She murmured faintly as those hazy coils made her fade from sight. "Just you wait. Time... waits for... no one..."

Sephiroth flicked the blood from Masamune's blade, satisfied. One less foe. One step closer to his revenge.

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Okay. Was so tired when I wrote this... but was so inspired! If it is a little choppy, apoligies!

**Reviews:**

**mikkimikka: **Thank you very much :D I hope you liked this chapter as much!

**Skykhanhunter: **Thank you! There doesn't seem to be enough stories in the Dissidia section that are about Chaos' side really. It was a little disappointing!

**Chencheya: ** Teehee, thank you! Sorry about the wait for this chapter. It took a bit of effort to reel out (plus I was at a convention last weekend!). Firion definitely needs more attention paid to him... he's pretty epic! I'm definitely going to try and work some of those lesser written for characters into my fics. It's nice to see them get some love and attention!

**Senshi of Sadness: **Okay, I see what you mean! I hope this fight recaptured a little of the speed of the first chapter, sorry I didn't quite manage it with chapter 4! As for Sephiroth's motives... there's always something hiding in his cold, emotionless eyes. He knows what he wants but doesn't want anyone else to know...

**Golbeza Girl: **Thank you very much! :DDD

**The Big Boss: **In the words of Tidus... woh woh woh woh! So many reviews! Thank you for your numerous kind words. :D You'll find out about Cloud and the others at the beginning of the next chapter. :D


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